not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes i live in an apartment building on the first floor, in a wheelchair modified unit. i use a cane and walker to get around, on my good days, i can walk without any aides but the winter is very hard for me. now the question is, benji is a chihuahua and i've been told that he needs to go outside, but some people say to pad train him, which is better? i've been told that chi's dont need much exercise, cause their so small, that all the exercise they can get will be running inside the apt and then they tire out quickly

There are lots of great doggie coats available these days for small breeds. You may also be able to find boots that stay on their feet long enough to go do their business and then back in. Global pet stores would be a good place to start your search.
IME small dogs in the winter go do their thing and then run to the door to get back in. I have a 16 year old toy poodle who hates the cold. She wears a sweater all winter long.

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

I agree with 14+ that small dogs will normally go out and then come right back in. If you are on the ground floor can you open your patio door and let the dog straight outside on a long lead maybe and not have to go out yourself. A coat for winter outings is a must for such a tiny pup though. My two large dogs have winter coats and they wait for me to put them on before we go out - they love it. If the elements are an issue for you, then I would go with pad training as well as working on outside whenever possible.